November: Cornwall Park

I love the mix of wild and urban that Cornwall park holds in it’s forests, streams and frisbee golf course. It has a fond place in my heart because this is where Rachel and I held our first Walk When the Moon is Full. Two nights, nearly nineteen people and lots of games and discovering all that Douglas Squirrels have to teach us. In a word: get busy! And so busy we have been, and busy we continue to be (Rachel is now a Canadian, and I sorely miss her friendship, kinship and skills). Cornwall Park is where our official Nature Babies program began, inspired by our dear friend Amanda Hawley. We’ve explored parks, trails and beaches all over Whatcom County since then. Cornwall has so much to offer, and is in need of some tender loving care. The Bellingham Parks and Recreation department hold work parties to help clear invasive plants that crowd out and take over the park, and plant native plants. They’re fun and it’s good work, so feel free to lend your helping hands! Here’s the link to the Parks Volunteer Program, listing many ways to help: http://www.cob.org/government/public/volunteer/parks/index.aspx

Nature Babies in November

It was a wild weather month. We truly tested the endurance and strength of our outdoor clothing. We began exploring mushrooms on a misty morning and ended in a frozen drinking fountain!

Exploring and sharing discoveries with friends is good fun.

We like to share snacks, too.

We found the “Snack Log” makes a nice natural balance beam.

The many ways we explore water, wood and stone.

And brown creeper nests! WOW!

Thank you, Cornwall Park. We will be back.

Wild Whatcom Walks explored the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve throughout October. This special nature reserve yields a bountiful and beautiful array of mushrooms! Here’s a gallery of what we’ve discovered this month and the explorers themselves.

Thank you for exploring nature with Wild Whatcom Walks.

The Fungus

Nature Babies!

Walk When the Moon is Full

Thank you Erin Moore, our fabulous knowledgeable guide to the fungus among us and the education specialist from the Northwest Mushroomers Association. For more info visit http://www.northwestmushroomers.org/.

Here in the evergreen state of Washington, the landscape is washed in beautiful variations of greenery. Have you noticed the golden highlights from the Big-leaf maples positively glowing in the sunlight? Wow! I often feel recharged in Fall. Everywhere you look in nature, you can see the season’s message of death and decay fostering new life. It’s nutrient cycling in action! The fallen leaves create compost for the soil and creatures beneath and the salmon’s decomposing bodies provide nutrients for the forests and animals. A vital decomposer who adds life to the forest is the mysterious mushrooms that seem like they’re everywhere right now! The fruiting bodies of mushrooms are so diverse and abundant (thank you again Erin!). This repeated message remind us that what we have much to learn from nature: what we cultivate (or compost!) within, will bear bountiful harvest to ourself and others.

The nights growing longer and damp chill of the evening brings us closer to home, hearth and community as we celebrate our land’s bountiful harvest in November. In some cultures, people didn’t harvest after October 31st, so whatever is left in the fields, forest or orchard is for the animals and the fairies! I feel very fortunate to celebrate the cycles of life with my family of friends. I hope you may do the same.

Please visit our new beautiful website designed by Peter Frazier for program descriptions so you can find the right program for you and your family, http://wildwhatcom.org/wild-whatcom-. We’re interested in offering a walking natural history programs for seniors. If you’d like more information, please email wildwhatcomwalks@gmail.com. Let’s go explore!